Observing the Air-Sea Transition Zone using Combined Uncrewed Systems and Other Conventional Platforms

Full understanding of air-sea interaction requires observations not only at the air-sea interface but also through the entire air-sea transition zone (the upper ocean, air-sea interface, and marine atmospheric boundary layer as a single identity). Our capabilities of observing collocated and simultaneous profiles through the entire column of the air-sea transition zone are currently limited. This study explores the feasibility of using combined uncrewed robotic systems in conjunction with conventional platforms to provide such collocated and simultaneous profiles of the air-sea transition zone. An introduction is given to experimental deployments of uncrewed surface vehicles (saildrones), underwater vehicles (gliders), aerial vehicles in coordination with profiling floats, surface drifters, airborne dropsondes, and moored buoys to observe the air-sea transition zone. Based on the preliminary results and lessons learned, a vision of potential capabilities of observing the air-sea transition zone in the future using combined uncrewed systems is offered.